Amy Kennedy of The Kennedy Forum will join the nation’s Governors at the National Governors Association Annual Winter Meeting in Washington D.C. to continue her leadership on youth mental health and support New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s National Governors Association (NGA) Chair Initiative.

As a former public-school educator, mother of five, former Congressional candidate, and leader at The Kennedy Forum, Amy brings unique personal and professional experiences to the Youth Mental Health Initiative. At the meeting, Amy – alongside The Kennedy Forum’s President & CEO Rebecca Bagley and Policy Director Lauren Finke – will foster relationships with key stakeholders, participate in the Plenary Session related to the Initiative, and amplify The Kennedy Forum’s policy recommendations that ladder up to the Initiative’s goals.

The Kennedy Forum’s youth mental health policy recommendations, led by Amy, include but are not limited to the following:
• Screen for mental health concerns at all age levels in school and primary care settings and substance use conditions when indicated by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Implement standards for K-12 mental health education and building capacity for mental health literacy for youth and their families.
• Ensure commercial reimbursement for medically necessary mental health services through strong coverage requirements and effective regulations.
• Support existing school mental health professionals by ensuring comprehensive benefits coverage for school employees and providing school teaching staff with tools to recognize and respond to mental health concerns and emergencies.

Amy’s advisory role for Governor Murphy’s Initiative was announced this year at the NGA Annual Summer Meeting. The Kennedy Forum works in partnership with the American Psychological Association, Inseparable, and Mental Health America to develop and advocate for these policy recommendations.